News

Dec 05, 2025

Councils to have new legal duty to notify schools, health visitors and GPs when child placed in temporary accommodation

The Department for Education has announced the introduction of a new legal duty for councils to notify schools, health visitors and GPs when a child is placed in temporary accommodation, as part of its Child Poverty Strategy, launched today (5 December).

Dec 05, 2025

Government refreshes guidance on mayoral development corporations

The Government has updated its guidance on the legislation, responsibilities and governance of Mayoral Development Corporations.

Dec 05, 2025

Court of Appeal sets aside care and placement orders, finding court needed to “keep bigger picture in view”

The Court of Appeal has set aside care and placement orders in respect of a two-year-old boy on the basis that the proposed plan for adoption was neither “necessary nor proportionate”.

Dec 04, 2025

Government launches call for evidence on claims management companies and housing disrepair cases

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Ministry of Justice have issued a call for evidence on the role and impact of claims management activity in housing disrepair claims brought in the County Court.

Dec 04, 2025

Court of Appeal refusal of permission to appeal paves way for 10,000-home new town in Hertfordshire to proceed

The Court of Appeal has refused permission to appeal in a legal challenge to plans for a 10,000 homes new town in Hertfordshire.

Dec 04, 2025

ICO ‘names and shames’ public authorities over FOI failures

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a series of enforcement notices and practice recommendations to public authorities after identifying “significant failures” to comply with the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000.

Dec 04, 2025

Court of Appeal allows appeal by council over costs award made after planning inquiry

Halton Borough Council has succeeded at the Court of Appeal over whether it should pay costs after its expert witness failed to come up to proof at a called-in planning inquiry.

Dec 04, 2025

Devolution priority programme areas to have mayoral elections delayed by two years

Four of the six local authority areas included in the Government's 'Devolution Priority Programme' could have their inaugural mayoral elections delayed in order to prioritise local government reorganisation in each of the regions.

Dec 04, 2025

Council “acted outside the law” when applying second homes council tax premium, Monitoring Officer finds

The Monitoring Officer at Warwick District Council has issued a section 5 report over the way in which the local authority applied a second homes council tax premium of 100%.

Dec 04, 2025

Government to press ahead with national minimum standards for taxi and PHV licensing, but to continue considering options on 'out of area' working

Laws to strengthen safety and protections for passengers in taxi and private hire vehicles are to be taken forward following Baroness Casey’s investigation into Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has said.

Dec 04, 2025

Ministry launches consultations on “emergency measures” around CIL and mayoral powers in bid to support London housebuilding

A package of what the Government has called “emergency measures” will see many developments in London exempted from the community infrastructure levy (CIL) and mayor Sir Sadiq Khan gain greater powers to intervene in planning cases.

Dec 04, 2025

Judge quashes refusal of consent for Gypsy/Traveller site and remits planning appeal for redetermination

The High Court has quashed a planning inspector’s refusal of consent for a Gypsy/ Travellers site after finding she made a mistake over where caravans would be sited.

Dec 03, 2025

Upper Tribunal judge finds for council in dispute over HMO licensing and provision of microwave ovens

Providing a microwave oven does not constitute ‘cooking facilities’ for the purposes of s.254(8) of the Housing Act 2004, the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) has found.

Dec 03, 2025

ICO reprimands Post Office over Horizon IT scandal data breach involving unredacted legal settlement document

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a reprimand to Post Office Limited following a data breach that resulted in the “unauthorised disclosure” of personal information belonging to hundreds of postmasters involved in the Horizon IT scandal.

Dec 03, 2025

Birmingham hit with judicial review threat over 3,500-home regeneration scheme

Campaigners have sent a pre-action protocol letter to Birmingham City Council threatening a judicial review challenge over a regeneration project which will see 1,800 homes demolished to make way for a 3,500-home development project.

Dec 03, 2025

Two firms fined £190k over unauthorised works to historic Bath terrace

Bath & North East Somerset Council has successfully prosecuted two companies for carrying out unauthorised works to the historic flooring of a Grade I listed Georgian terrace in Bath.

Dec 03, 2025

London borough launches legal action against Met Police and Mayor’s Office over police front counter closure

Richmond Council has begun legal proceedings against the Metropolitan Police and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), following a decision to close the public front counter at Twickenham Police Station permanently.

Dec 03, 2025

Poultry farm approval to be reversed after council concedes over judicial review threat

Newcastle-Under-Lyme Borough Council has agreed that a planning approval it gave to a poultry farm should be quashed, following a judicial review threat made on environmental grounds.

Dec 03, 2025

Ministry issues guidance on reserving below-threshold competitions to suppliers based in local area or UK

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has issued guidance on a new, voluntary policy that permits in-scope contracting authorities including councils, police forces and fire authorities to reserve competitions for below-threshold contracts to local and UK businesses.

Dec 02, 2025

Ofsted started nearly 900 investigations into potential unregistered children's homes this year alone, annual report reveals

Ofsted started nearly 900 investigations this year alone into potential unregistered children’s homes, which often charge “exorbitant fees” to local authorities that have run out of options, the watchdog’s annual report has warned.

Dec 02, 2025

Birmingham shows signs of improvement, but governance reform “remains fragile”: Commissioners

Birmingham City Council is "not yet fully functioning as a coherent corporate entity", cultural change is not embedded, and governance reform "remains fragile", commissioners have said.

Dec 02, 2025

Government launches “national conversation” on SEND to put parents’ experiences “at heart of reform”

The Government has launched a public engagement campaign on SEND, in a bid to fulfil its commitment to placing parents “at the heart of reform”.

Dec 02, 2025

Met Police ordered to pay foster carers compensation over disclosure of address in family court case

The County Court has ordered the Metropolitan Police to pay nearly £40,000 in compensation to two foster carers after the police force disclosed the couple’s home address to the parties in care proceedings, leading them to fear for their safety.

Dec 02, 2025

Supreme Court refuses Epping Forest bid to challenge Home Office intervention in asylum hotel proceedings

The Supreme Court has refused Epping Forest District Council's application for permission to appeal a decision by the Court of Appeal to allow the Home Office to intervene in proceedings regarding the use of a hotel in Epping to house asylum seekers.

Dec 02, 2025

Report on administrative justice calls for widening of legal aid means test, introduction of Public Services Ombudsman for England

The “existing complexity” in the network of ombudsman schemes could be tackled through the creation of a national Public Services Ombudsman for England, the Administrative Justice Council (AJC) has suggested in a new report.

Dec 01, 2025

Equalities watchdog warns Government departments of PSED duties

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has written to 15 Government departments reminding them of their Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) responsibilities.

Dec 01, 2025

Supreme Court gives permission for leapfrog appeal concerning disputed easement over council-owned car park

The Supreme Court has given permission for a leapfrog appeal from the Upper Tribunal concerning a disputed easement over part of a council-owned car park.

Dec 01, 2025

Council and guardian win appeals over “premature determination” in care proceedings case

The Court of Appeal has allowed appeals brought by a local authority and the Children’s Guardian in a case concerning a “premature determination” by a judge within care proceedings.

Dec 01, 2025

London borough refers tenant management organisation to Financial Conduct Authority

The London Borough of Lambeth has taken the rare step of referring a tenant management organisation to the Financial Conduct Authority over alleged impropriety.

Dec 01, 2025

Council ordered to reconsider homelessness status of convicted offender over failure to recognise intervening event

Fenland District Council has been told it must reconsider the homelessness status of a convicted sex offender who has become paraplegic through illness while in prison.

Dec 01, 2025

LLG reveals name and goals of new professional body for monitoring officers

Lawyers in Local Government (LLG) has formally launched the Association of Monitoring Officers (AMO), announcing its name, logo, structure and priorities at the LLG Governance Conference on Friday (28 November).

Nov 28, 2025

SEND system adversarial not because of existence of the law but because law is “routinely not applied correctly”: IPSEA

The Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (IPSEA) has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson MP, about the Government’s plans to reform the system for supporting children and young people with SEND, highlighting the charity's view that reforms “shouldn’t be…

Nov 28, 2025

Government confirms new local plan-making system to launch in early 2026

A new system for local plan development including a 30-month process will be launched in early 2026, the Minister for Housing and Planning, Matthew Pennycook, has confirmed.

Nov 28, 2025

Upper Tribunal allows appeal by council and orders fresh hearing over imposition of HMO licence condition

The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) has told the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) to reconsider a case on licensing houses in multiple occupation because it failed to give proper weight to Portsmouth City Council's Private Sector Housing Space and Amenity Standards.

Nov 28, 2025

High Court dismisses challenge brought by football club over refusal by council to grant lease for sports facilities

The High Court has refused permission for a football club to take the London Borough of Ealing to judicial review after finding its first claim was not served within time and there was not a good reason to extend time for filing a second claim.

Nov 28, 2025

Ofsted confirms removal of headline judgement for inspections of local authorities’ children’s services from April 2026

Ofsted has this week (27 November) announced plans to reform inspections of local authorities’ children’s services across 2026 and 2027, including the removal of the ‘overall effectiveness judgement’ from April 2026.

Nov 28, 2025

Regulator of Social Housing hands council “serious failings” grading amid concerns over its operation of PFI agreements

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has given Oldham Council a C3 grading signifying that there are serious failings in the local authority’s delivery of the outcomes of the RSH’s consumer standards.

Nov 28, 2025

Developer wins court battle with landowner over breach of “reasonable endeavours” obligation to help secure planning consent

Developer Romal Capital (C02) has won a High Court case against property owner Peel L&P Ports over whether the latter should have done more to help it win planning consent for a large and profitable residential development.

Nov 28, 2025

New national framework urges licensing authorities to consider need to promote growth

The Department for Business & Trade has published a national licensing policy framework for the hospitality and leisure sectors, setting out its "strategic vision for a modern licensing system".

Nov 28, 2025

Institute of Licensing and national organisations launch Partnership Charter for the Night Time Economy

The Institute of Licensing (IoL) and a range of public and private sector organisations have this week launched the UK’s first Partnership Charter for the Night Time Economy.

Nov 27, 2025

External auditors issue statutory recommendation in light of section 114 risk

Shropshire Council's external auditors have issued a statutory recommendation and three key recommendations to the local authority after identifying four "significant weaknesses" in its value for money arrangements.

Nov 27, 2025

Council drops motion on pension investment following “strong legal advice” from monitoring officer

Isle of Wight Council removed a proposed motion regarding pensions investment and the Israel-Palestine conflict after its monitoring officer issued "strong legal advice" that the motion would be "wholly inappropriate".

Nov 27, 2025

Bar Council updates AI guidance, urging barristers to better understand LLMs

The Bar Council has updated its guidance on the use of ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence (AI) large language model systems (LLMs), which calls on barristers to "make the effort to understand" the technology.

Nov 27, 2025

Tribunal finds two complaints of harassment related to race “well-founded” in case brought by ex-Director of Legal against city council

An employment tribunal has upheld two complaints of harassment related to race brought by Peterborough City Council's former Director of Legal and Governance, but dismissed 41 other complaints of discrimination made by the claimant.

Nov 27, 2025